A Situation of Clarity
by TinmanHasRusted
Summary: A rewritten ending to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The pivotal changing point is Luke's reaction to having the catwalk that he is on knocked down.


**Star Wars, Episode VI: The Jedi Returns, **

**The Final Battle between Vader and Luke: How It Should Have Ended**

By Adam Turner

_**Summary of events before now:**__ The Rebels in need of destroying the new Death Star before it is complete has initiated a plan in which a party is sent to the forest moon of Endor. Their mission is to find and disable the shield generate defending the incomplete death machine. While on the moon the party that was gathered, which included Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker, faced heavy opposition from the Imperial forces already on the ground. While Leia and Han went to take out the shield generate Luke separated from the party. When questioned he said that he was going to turn himself in so that he may get to see his father, the menacing Darth Vader. Luke still held out hope that he could reach his father and snap him back to Anakin Skywalker. When taken into custody he was transported to the Death Star. When presented to the Emperor, the sinister leader bombarded Luke with thoughts of death for his friends and fellow rebels. _

**A Situation of Clarity**

The light saber rested at the Emperor's side. Luke spins from the window, extending his hand and pulling the blade to his hand. Filled with the force, he ignites it as he plunges the blade toward the Emperor. Darth Vader had anticipated this attack, however and easily deflected Luke's blow.

The Emperor laughed at the sight of his attempt, as if he were a mad man looking into his insanity. Vader repels Luke and forces him into the open space in front of the Emperor's throne. The two swordsman dance around one another, here and there throwing a strike knowing it would be parried by the other.

Eventually Luke finds an opening and seizes the opportunity. He blocks an overhand blow and then kicks the hulking menace in the chest. Vader flies down the stairs, coming to a stop on his back. His light saber still ignited, he looked up at his young foe as if he were in a daze.

The Emperor laughed behind Luke, catching him off guard. "Good! Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you." Luke looks over his shoulder at the old man in disdain. Utilizing the momentary distraction Vader manages to get back to his feet. Both Luke and Vader momentarily size each other up before Luke extinguishes his light saber. He stares down at his father.

Vader with his blade still active walks toward the stairs. "Obi-Wan has taught you well." He holds his blade in a way that hides nothing. The crimson saber held erect at his side.

"I will not fight you father," Luke says with complete certainty. Vader continues to close in on him, now rising up the stairs toward him. Luke doesn't resist, but instead backs away allowing his foe to gain the ground he had, only moments before, achieved.

Luke's breathing gets deeper with each step. He looks to take on an emotion of fear in facing this man. Vader breaks the momentary tension, "You are unwise to lower your defenses." While shouting the word "defenses", Vader attacks Luke with his saber. In a split second Luke had reignited his blade and deflected the blow. Each movement was matched perfectly, like two dance partners fully aware of one another's skills. They make their way, while dueling, up the stairs back in the direction of the throne.

As they reach the higher ground, Luke begins to fatigue giving Vader the upper hand. Straining Luke attempts to keep up with the heavy blows of his opponent. Finally pulling off a final parry, Luke jumps to Vader's side and then somersaults into a platform completely surrounded by computer monitors. Vader attempts a strike, but does not reach him as he back flips onto a catwalk over watching the entire throne room.

Again with an extinguished blade, Luke attempts to bring his father to his senses. "Your thoughts betray you father. I feel the good in you. The conflict." He stands on the catwalk looking down at the brute as if a moral superior. He seemed to strike a cord somewhere deep inside the machine, however. Vader stops his movements, as if in deep contemplation, considering what Luke had just said to him.

Seeming to snap himself back to awareness a second later, Vader walks closer to Luke and then raises his blade like a flag in front of him. "There is no conflict," he declares.

Luke skirts the catwalk without taking his eyes off Vader. "You couldn't bring yourself to destroy me before and I don't think you will kill me now."

Vader mimics Luke's moves on the ground. He retorts, "You underestimate the power of the dark side. If you will not fight than you will meet your destiny." With this final statement Vader hurls his ignited blade at the catwalk taking out all of the support beams. Luke collapses to the walk and grips onto it as the platform falls. Just before it hits the ground however he pulls his legs underneath him and pushes himself off the platform and front flips to the ground behind Vader. The Emperor approaches the stairs, leaving his throne long behind him.

Luke ever persistent pleads to his father, "It is not too late father. You can still return to the light. This man does not have to hold control over you any longer." He gestures toward the Emperor in an appalled manner. The Emperor's laugh fills the hall. Its evil tune seemed to define his joy in watching the father and son fight as opponents.

Vader uses his force abilities to pull the light saber from the wreckage of the catwalk. He turns his attention back to Luke and ignites his blade once again. "You can not cloud my mind boy. The dark side is power and that is now what I have." He returns to his assault on Luke. Luke returns his blows admirably matching each with one of his own. They both gain and lose ground to one another as they fight to best the other.

They made their way all around the room. Nothing was free of the assault. Walls were sliced through. Walkways, gates, computers, and service robots all were collateral damage. As they went back and forth the ground beneath their feat began to vibrate, this was accompanied by a deep hum. Soon the entire station was alive with movement. Over a loudspeaker, hidden within the room, an officer spoke. "Death Star ready to fire in five minutes. All essential personnel to their designated points. Repeat firing ready in five minutes." Vader and Luke had not ceased their fighting during this announcement, but hearing these words Luke became sidetracked, Vader clipped his arm and knocked Luke to the floor in front of him. Vader pointed his blade toward Luke's chest. Luke extinguished the blade and slid it away from him.

The Emperor cackled at the top of the stairs. Seeing the apparent defeat the Emperor returned to attempting to get Luke to come to his side. "Do you fear for the life of your friends, boy? They are on that moon down there with an entire army. How many are in the party a couple dozen. There are thousands of my own troops down there. They will not survive this day. Unless of course if you join me. Come to the dark side. I will teach you how to harness the hate within you and turn it into the power to save your friends. If you come to my side boy, the moon and your friends will be spared. The fleet outside will be the only victims of my wrath." The Emperor opens his arms like those of a preacher. He seems to be presenting a vulnerable stance in order to appeal to Luke.

Quickly after the Emperor stopped speaking, Vader's grip seemed to go limp. He eventually took his blade away and backed away from Luke. He looked up at his master. "That was the same words you said to me all those years ago." Luke looked at his father's actions quizzically. "I remember the dreams. Those of my mother's death. Those of Padme's. Padme…" Vader looked down at the ground and said nothing. This went on for a decent amount of time before he again looked to his master. "You told me I could protect her, you said that was the force of the dark side. My family would be protected."

The Emperor's laughing had now halted. He looked at his former apprentice; though he should have been terrified, his face conveyed no emotion. "You were granted that power, my friend, but you did not use it appropriately. She died because you were not yet strong enough. That is no longer the case you have the strength now. And your family is still alive. There," he points to Luke. "He is still alive, as is your daughter. Bring them to our side of the force and your family will finally be at your side. It is as you said all that you had wanted." Vader didn't respond he merely looked between Luke and the Emperor, between his master and his son. The Emperor, at Vader's hesitance, looked angered. His face contorted from what had moments before been a welcoming smile into one of disgust. "Come now my old apprentice, teach your son what it is to be on the dark side. Take him as your new apprentice and return to my side where you belong." Vader hadn't responded and looked instead down at his son. Clearly he was stuck in a great debate deep within himself.

Luke unable to remain on the ground jumped to his feet. Before he could reach for his light saber, the Emperor let out a roar of disapproval. Lifting his hand up he pointed his fingers at Luke's chest and then let loose his force lightning. As the ragged edges of electricity pulsed there way toward Luke, he could do nothing, but watch as his certain death approached. He finally was able to mutter a single word, "father" and then everything slowed down.

The world seemed to move at a crawl with so many things happening at once. The Emperor's lightning arced toward Luke, Luke attempted to shield his face with his arms, and Vader reacted. Snapped out of his confusion with Luke's statement, Vader lifted his blade ignited it and blocked the assault. Pulling his blade back in front of him he extinguishes the Emperors attack. The Emperor lets out a tone of anger and then raises both hands. Firing with all of his might he released his anger on Vader. Vader did his best with defending from the volley, but the sheer amount of power was close to breaking the light saber. He did all he could just to maintain his defenses.

While this was happening Luke responded, he reached out and grabbed his light saber. He jumped into the air attempting to get behind the Emperor. This proved successful sense the entirety of his focus was on punishing his former apprentice. The last Luke saw was that Vader's blade was blown apart, just as this happened Luke put the hilt of his sword against the small of Emperor Palpetine's back. Quickly he activated it and pulled up slicing through him all the way until the blade came out of the top of his head. Slowly the Emperor fell into two parts on the floor in front of Luke.

Luke dropped his hand to his side releasing the blade, which extinguished as it fell. He looked down at the mass. He seemed to be in shock at how the events had played out. After a few moments, he seemed to return to his senses and looked from the mass on the floor to his father.

Vader was collapsed on the ground at the base of the stairs that they had fought over, just minutes ago. His robotic hand was blown to bits; the remnants of it lay on the floor next to the remnants of his light saber. He was now completely vulnerable lying on his back looking up at the roof. He seemed to be mostly unharmed aside from some small wounds from shrapnel.

Over the loud speaker came a warning, "Death Star firing in two minutes. Last warning before actual fire." Luke took a couple steps down the stairs. He stopped about halfway down and called out to his father, "Father are you alive? Say something!" The ragged breathing could be heard under his helmet, which signified to Luke that he was alive. He took another step down and was greeted by Vader's sitting up. With his one good hand he got up to his feet. Vader looked at the mass that was the Emperor and that back at Luke. He said to Luke, "Now that he is dead we can rule this galaxy. Everything can be ours as father and son there would be no one who could deny us. Think of it son, a system in which we get all the benefits. You can not deny something so great." Luke looked at his father, having been on the stairs at the time he was able to see him face to mask. Vader outstretched his hand to Luke and said, "Come with me. We are now the masters." Luke threw his hand behind and called his light saber. Igniting it he held it in front of him, signaling that he was ready to fight him still. Vader said, "Do not be a fool boy. Why waste the opportunity that you and I fought side by side for?"

"Father I thought I saw humanity in you once and I still believe it is there. Come to your senses once again. Leave this life behind and come back from the dark side of the force. Anakin Skywalker is still in there I witnessed his resurface just moments ago." Vader reached his hand out toward the Emperor's chair and called for a saber that was hidden in the area around the chair. As the blade raced toward him, the loud speaker rang out for a final time. "Death Star firing… Now!" The confines all began to vibrate at an incredible rate. Outside the window a great red beam arced from the weapon out into the Rebel fleet. All of the ships were systematically destroyed. A couple turned to enter light speed, but didn't get the opportunity. In the distance the Millennium Falcon could be seen being clipped, going out of control the ship swan dived and raced toward the moon.

The hilt raced toward Vader and Luke tired of all that had just occurred pulled his blade down onto the traveling hilt and sliced it in half. A small explosion occurred and the smoke and shock wave hit Vader. This knocked him back off his feet and sprawled across the floor. Over the loud speaker a congratulatory statement was made. "The fleet has been destroyed. No survivors. A couple survived the initial blast, but collided with the moon."

Vader can be heard breathing beneath his mask. Quietly he began to talk. "When I was no younger then you boy, I began to have terrible dreams. I saw my mother's death and I saw the death of your mother. Unable to accept this as the future I tried to prevent it by finding power. I finally achieved this power, but was unable to save either. In the end I was responsible for your mother's death. The dark side is not the answer to the fear, but the light side also does not contain all of the answers. I cannot even try to atone for my sins, but with the death of my former master I can finally think clearly."

Luke deactivated his blade and then tossed it across the room, no longer desiring to have such a weapon in his possession. Waiting to see if Vader had any other tricks, eventually deciding that he didn't he leaped down the stairs by his side. Vader, with the destroyed remnants of his robotic hand clutched to his chest, sat up with the aid of Luke. Vader asked his son to take off his helmet and allow him to look on him with his own eyes. Luke assisting him with this got to look for the first time at his face. His face was ghostly white and scars covered virtually every available surface. His head seemed to be crammed into the helmet slightly taking the shape itself, but looking at his eyes they were perfectly clear. For the first time Luke could tell that his father had returned.

Somewhere near the throne a communicator sounded. "Your highness we have successfully completed your assigned task. How should we proceed?" This went on for a couple of minutes before the radio suddenly ceased.

Luke had time to assist Vader to his feet, his helmet still lying on the ground. Somewhere behind the big blast door that separated the throne room from the hall, came a pounding of boots and orders being called. After a brief pounding the door slid open. The 501st entered the room with their assorted weapons pointed at Luke. Orders are thrown in his direction to get onto the ground. Questions fly wondering where the Emperor was and others that questioned what the mass on the floor was. Vader stood staring out of the window at the forest moon below them. After a moment of assorted yelling and orders, he turned around and looked down upon them. Clearly struggling he pulls together all of his strength and let out a booming voice. "Lower your weapons now! The Emperor is no longer alive. I am taking command of the Empire side by side with my son. You are now under his command."

The soldiers looked at one another and then lowered their weapons standing at attention. Luke was now presented with a choice. Try to alter the Empire and make it into something that people can be proud of or refuse and cause the Empire to collapse, causing chaos to ensue. Luke looked up at his father and then back to his new soldiers. Coming to a decision he tells his troops that they were going to down to the moon to find his friends. They comply with shouts of agreement.

5


End file.
